People are mourning Spirit Airlines, and not for the reason you think

Spirit Airlines was known for some spirited interactions involving passengers over the years, but some longtime customers are painting a different portrait of the ultra-low cost carrier following its shuttering May 2.

For more than three decades, the airline carried travelers across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean with a commitment to both savings and safety.

However years of financial troubles and recent spikes in fuel prices finally proved too much for the carrier.

“Spirit Airlines gets a lot of flack, but I'll be sad to see them go,” Matthew Cappucci, a senior meteorologist at MyRadar, posted on X, echoing a sentiment shared by others across social media.

“In March of 2019, I was a college student with little disposable money. My grandfather's health was failing, and I knew he wouldn't live to see me graduate six weeks later," he recalled.

Cappucci caught a last-minute Spirit flight from Boston to Fort Myers and surprised his grandfather for lunch, getting back in time for classes that same night.

“It was the last time he was able to speak – he died shortly thereafter,” he said. “I'm so incredibly glad I dropped the $99 – I'll always be thankful Spirit was around to get me there cheap when no other airline would.”

Tisha Savage, CEO of the nonprofit Crowns for Change and founder of Revolutionary Pageants, said Spirit consistently came through for her as a traveler with an invisible disability – psoriatic arthritis.

“As a disabled traveler, flying is never just about getting from point A to point B. You really have to consider how you feel when you fly,” she told USA TODAY by email. “Are you understood, accommodated, and respected? Does the seatbelt fit okay? Can you close it with your hands okay? Are you able to board without the pressure or help of crew if you need to? Do they have adaptable features?”

She said Spirit was one of the only airlines, in her experience, that acknowledged and understood the Sunflower initiative, which lets people with hidden disabilities wear a sunflower to discreetly let others know they may need more time or help.

“Their crews have always brought a sense of ease, humor, and humanity to flying. Something that can’t be quantified, but is deeply felt as someone who can sometimes have to prepare weeks out to travel,” Savage said of Spirit. She added that the airline’s exit row and extra legroom options were affordable and allowed her to travel with less physical strain.

“Of course, Spirit has often been the subject of negative comments or jokes, memes, but their flexibility and accessibility is always what kept me coming back,” Savage said, also extolling the airline’s safety record and reliability. “Despite the noise, they showed up, stayed consistent, and continued serving travelers like myself who depended on their affordable and real accessible travel.”

Like other ultra-low cost carriers, Spirit was known for low prices but charging customers for extras like baggage.

Joshua Sheats of Radical Personal Finance appreciated that “you always got what you paid for and you could simply pay to get what you wanted.”

Once, while moving his family overseas, the financial planner was able to pay for seven tickets and 49 suitcases on the same flight for over $7,000.

“I was so grateful to be able to actually buy all those bags. Every other major carrier restricts you to a maximum of 2 or 3 suitcases per ticket. Spirit let me buy what I wanted and just pay for it,” he posted on X. “Spirit handled my bags and got me there. And it was cheaper and easier for me to just use Spirit than a freight company.”

Sheats didn’t always travel on Spirit. He noted that he always considers the purpose of his travel before choosing airlines, but said, “RIP Big Yellow Bus in the Sky. I'll miss you."